An innovative website promoting brain health has been launched in Trinity College Dublin as part of a new EU Commission initiative to increase the societal impact of brain research.
The Hello Brain campaign, which is the public face of the ASAPS project (A Sharing Approach to Promoting Science), received €1 million funding from the EU Commission under its Seventh Framework Programme.
The project, led by Trinity College Dublin, is co-ordinated by Dr Sabina Brennan, Principal Investigator at the Institute of Neuroscience and Assistant Director of Trinity’s NEIL (Neuro-Enhancement for Independent Lives) Programme.
Significantly, the campaign translates complex scientific information into is easy-to-understand, practical health and well-being information designed to encourage people to be more proactive about their brain health so that they can live independently for longer.
The Hello Brain website provides practical tips on how to keep your brain healthy using a range of entertaining videos and online resources, including the Hello Brain Health App which can be downloaded for free.
Brain Health Is Something That Everyone Needs to Think About
The key messages of the Hello Brain campaign are: Cognitive Decline is not inevitable, the brain can change even in later life and finally risk and protective factors have been identified therefore it is possible and important to be proactive about brain health.
Speaking about the background for the campaign, Dr Brennan, commented: “We asked people across Europe what they feared most about growing old and they told us that they feared losing their memory and losing their independence. They also told us that dementia was the disease that they feared most.”
There are currently 150 million people aged over 50 in Europe and one of the primary ways that they use the Internet is to educate themselves about their health.
The Hello Brain campaign and website capitalise on the growth of digital literacy among European citizens in order to share important and relevant scientific information about ageing in a way that will educate and empower, whilst also addressing the digital divide by providing some campaign material s in more traditional formats.
However, the Hello Brain campaign is not just aimed at older populations but is something everyone needs to think about. “Even young adults in their mid-20s could benefit and should consider protecting their brains now for the future,” added Professor Lawlor.
Brain health is intricately tied to the health of our body. Physical exercise not only helps your heart, it can increase the size of your hippocampus, the part of the brain crucial to making memories.
Physical exercise also generates a chemical called BDNF, which acts like fertiliser for the brain, encouraging the growth of neural connections and new brain cells. You also need to keep socially active, as well, especially as you get older, because there’s growing evidence to suggest that people who avoid getting lonely, reduce their risk of cognitive decline.
How can we further improve the health of our brain and what can be done to make this information even more accessible to people of all ages?
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